The headlining brewers for the January event are an impressive duo: Matt Brynildson, brewmaster for Firestone Walker in Paso Robles, Calif., and Kevin DeLange, owner/founder of Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora.

Vail, CO–August 29–Tickets for the 13th Annual Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival will be available for purchase September 1st via the event website at www.bigbeersfestival.com. Vail Cascade Resort is once again the host location for the event being held January 10-12th, 2013. Returning favorites and usually sold out/standing-room only programs include the opening Calibration Dinner, a Traditional Brewmaster’s Dinner, the experimental brewing seminar, “Brewers Gone Wild,” and CraftBeer.com’s Beer & Food Pairing Taste-off. Both dinners are five-course white tablecloth beer pairing dinners with commentary from the brewmasters and chefs. Many more programs are listed on the event website; special guests and seminars continue to be added to the already packed line-up.

Designed to welcome the beer connoisseur, the innovative homebrewer, and the novice taster, participants will find events appropriate for all levels of interest. Throughout the course of the entire festival, breweries from around the world participate, offering literally hundreds of choices of elite brews.

2013 Featured Brewmasters
One of the most eagerly awaited announcements is the designation of the two Featured Brewmasters, considered a high honor in a festival of this caliber. This year, the two craft beer celebrities will be Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster for Firestone Walker in Paso Robles, California and Kevin DeLange, Owner/Founder of Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora, Colorado. DeLange’s Dry Dock Brewing was awarded “Small Brewing Company of the Year” in 2009 at one of the industry’s largest events: the Great American Beer Festival. Brynildson’s Firestone Walker has been recognized in the media as “the most award-winning craft brewery in the world,” and most recently won Champion Brewery/Brewmaster for Mid-Size Breweries at the 2012 World Beer Cup.
The role of the Featured Brewmasters is to co-host the Traditional Brewmaster’s Dinner on Friday evening, and each brewmaster will present a seminar on their choice of topic on Saturday. Avery Brewing Co. and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery open the weekend annually with the Cailbration Dinner.
The Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival is a three day event featuring educational seminars including a Cicerone workshop (similar to the Sommelier designation in the world of wine), two Brewmasters dinners, and a wildly popular and uber-competitive homebrew competition. A Commercial Tasting tops off the events with more than sixty breweries and importers showcasing their wares. A majority of the breweries are represented by the actual owner or brewmaster, a unique opportunity compared to other festivals.

Brewmasters, Brewery Owners & Importers
The brewmasters, brewery owners and importers that showcase their wares at the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival come from all over the world. Previous attendees have had the opportunity to sample American craft beer from California, Delaware, Maine, Hawaii and Alaska. The international offerings hail from far and wide with a concentration of beer from European countries, particularly Belgium, and the importers make a point of providing extreme diversity both in style and in origin.

New VIP Pass Option
New for this year are a limited number of VIP passes, available on the event website, which include

oA seat at each of the Brewmasters’ Dinners on Thursday and Friday
oA Commercial Tasting & Seminars Ticket
oReserved Seat/Media access at each Seminar
oWelcome Reception admission
oEarly admission to the Commercial Tasting
oCommemorative 2013 Glassware (two tulip glasses)
oChoice of Festival-wear: hat or t-shirt
oChoice of Festival-wear: hoodie or jacket
oTaxes & gratuity for all of the above are included in the package price. Pass price is $500

Beneficiary
The Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival actively supports the efforts of the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, a local organization that helps individuals who live and work in the Vail Valley that have critical financial need due to medical catastrophes, accidents or long-term illnesses. For more information about the VVCF, visit www.vvcf.org
Lodging Partners
Other Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines partnering properties offering special lodging rates for Big Beers participants & attendees include the Holiday Inn/Apex Vail, Simba Run and the Lionshead Inn. More information about lodging options is listed on the event website, www.bigbeersfestival.com.

Our new iPad app serves as a guide to metro Denver’s bountiful breweries, beer bars and bottle shops, the holy trinity of craft beer enjoyment for followers and fans. Download the app for iPad .
Next time you head for a beer in Boulder, don’t forget your friend, Beers of Boulder and Boulder County, an iPad app from the Daily Camera. Download the app for iPad .

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In Colorado, our pint glasses overflow with excellent beer. New breweries, new batches, festivals every other week. How lucky are we? First Drafts is The Denver Post's beer blog aimed at helping you keep tabs on the state's ever-expanding craft beer culture. We offer a mash of news, event coverage, homegrown stories, tasting notes and tips to help you imbibe. Expert drinker or homebrewer? Let us know what you're loving about Colorado's beer scene. Not sure exactly what a firkin is? No worries, let us be your guide. Go ahead. Belly up and drink it in!